BR55 battle rifle

File:BattleRifleAngles.JPG

BR55 Battle Rifle

 Rate of Fire  : Average
 Operation     : Gas System with cam mechanism for burst fire
 Fire Mode     : 3-round burst
 Ammunition    : 9.5mmx40  (M634 Experimental, High Power, Semi-Armor Piercing)
 Damage per hit: High
 Range         : Medium to semi-long
 Accuracy      : Very high
 Magazine Size : 36 rounds
 Maximum Ammo  : 144 rounds (including fully loaded 
                 magazine)

Summary

Designated the BR55 Battle Rifle, it was designed to replace the Pistol from the original game. It has also been heralded as the "New Pistol." It has reasonable power, decent rate of fire, and high accuracy, proving itself to be one of the most versatile weapons in the UNSC arsenal. With a 2x zoom scope, it can be used to deliver three-shot-bursts accurately from medium-to-long range. At close range, simply center the target in your sights and pull the trigger. Firing at any unshielded target in the head (besides Hunters) results in an instant kill (see head shot).

In single player campaign, is the second-most common Human weapon encountered (following SMGs). Useful against just about any infantry units. In multiplayer, it appears often in two or more spots on just about every map and even spawned a gametype where you start with it. Three bursts bring down standard shields, while one headshot results in death if the shields are down. It can also be exploited in the "SWAT Suicide."

File:Spartan with Battle Rifle.jpg

Spartan with a modified Battle Rifle in Halo 3.

It was originaly meant to fire one shot in semi-automatic rates of fire, but something made the developers change their minds. The idea was apparently used for the Covenant Carbine.

Another idea the developers were working on was a three bullet minimum per burst, and holding the trigger resulted in full auto. Zoomed in, the rifle only shot a single bullet.

The Battle Rifle was not featured in the original Halo 1 but was created for Halo 2. This weapon will be returning in Halo 3. The screenshot suggest the Battle Rifle has a longer barrel, possibly a silencer.

Character Compatibility

• Elites
• Spartans
• Marines
• Brutes (Have animation, but not used)
• Drones (Have animation, but not used)
• Jackals (Weapon swap at encounter with Flood on Sacred Icon)
• Flood Combat Form (Human)
• Flood Combat Form (Elite)

Pros

• Accurate/powerful/great all-around weapon

• Includes a 2x scope

Cons

• Relatively low ammunition.

• Lacks auto-fire.

Glitches

The Battle Rifle may be used in several glitches. Although they can be used with all weapons, the BXR weapons glitch allows a user to melee, cancel the animation, and then fire by tapping B (melee), X right afterwards, and then R (the right trigger/gun). This causes an instant kill to a shielded opponent (Elite in campaign or opponent in matchmaking).

Another glitch is the RRX, also known as the double-shot. When you press R (the right trigger)twice without pausing followed by pressing the X button right after the pressing of the second R, instead of firing a three-round burst followed by a pause, it fires six bullets without pausing, simulating automatic fire. After successfully pulling off the glitch, your weapon reloads but without any reloading animation. The drawback with the glitch originally was that once you did the double shot, you were reloading the weapon and therefore could not interrupt it and start firing the weapon again to perform another double shot. However this was solved by tapping the Y button twice to switch your weapon and to quickly switch back to your battle rifle, which interrupted the reloading procedure and you could thus start double-shotting again. It takes four bursts from the battle rifle to the head to kill a target, so successfully tapping RRXYYRRX while accurately firing gave you the ability to kill an opponent quickly, but it is very difficult to master.

There is also the RRYB, an instant kill glitch where you press the right trigger twice, immediately followed by pressing Y (which switched to your other weapon) followed by pressing B (melee) all while running towards your target. It is essentially a BXR but in reverse and you fire two shots instead of one.